Entertainment, Movies - Navy Times

‘Robot Chicken’ blasts off

Here is an easy recipe for laughs: Take two comic minds and mix them with a parody of their favorite film franchise. The result is “Robot Chicken: Star Wars.”

The special, which aired on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, made its DVD debut July 22.

Seth Green and Matt Senreich, the force behind the project, recently spoke about it.

Green, an actor whom many people remember as playing Scott Evil in Mike Myers’ “Austin Powers” movies, and Senreich are the co-creators of “Robot Chicken,” in its third season on Comedy Central.

For the “Star Wars” spoof, Green served as performer, writer and director, and Senreich served as executive producer and writer. Both are “Star Wars” fans from way back.

Green was 3 years old when he saw “Star Wars” during its initial 1977 release. Senreich also saw it then but was more cognizant of the film when he saw it again during its 1979 reissue.

And although “The Empire Strikes Back” is Senreich’s favorite “Star Wars” movie, “New Hope,” the reissue subtitle for the first film, “holds a nostalgic appeal for me. I have seen it so many times that I probably can quote it verbatim,” he said.

Green and Senreich’s love for everything “Star Wars” led to their initial “Robot Chicken” sketch of the Emperor taking a phone call from Darth Vader, who is explaining to his master about the destruction of the Death Star.

They said the skit impressed executives at Lucasfilm, who called the pair to ask permission to put it on the starwars.com Web site. The pair was invited to tour the Lucasfilm facilities where, Green said, after some discussion, Senreich impulsively pitched the idea for a complete “Robot Chicken: Star Wars” episode.

The executives readily agreed, and “within three weeks, we were up and running,” Senreich said. “It took 14 weeks from the start of writing to completion.”

One skit involved an animated George Lucas being chased by overly loving fans at a “Star Wars” convention. Directing Lucas was a joy, Green said.

“He was so game, very free. He gave me what I was looking for on the first couple of takes.”

The two think Lucas enjoyed the parody, which they were invited to screen at Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch.

“Visibly, he gave the appearance of enjoying himself. It looked like he was having a good time with it,” Green said.

“Robot Chicken: Star Wars” was meant as an affectionate spoof of the franchise, Senreich said.

“We’re all big fans of the franchise,” Green added. They spoofed “all the silly things we notice.”

They were not aiming to add any “harsh criticisms. There is a joyful sentiment to it. It is fun for us,” Green said.

The project was a kind of family affair for the pair. They recruited people they have worked with before to provide some of the voices, including Brecken Meyer and Donald Faison of “Scrubs.”

“We targeted very specific people,” Senreich said.

It was a “no-brainer for a lot of them. We knew Brecken Meyer, and Donald Faison,” Green said. “They are very reliable when [we[ get them in the booth.”

And when appropriate, he noted, the performers, who also included Ahmed Best, the voice of Jar Jar Binks, were allowed to improvise.

The reason they think the parody is so good is because Lucas created such a complete universe that Green and Senreich had a multitude of characters to choose from.

They two do not have any other specials in the works, as they are busy preparing season four of “Robot Chicken,” plus they still have six episodes to go in season three.

But, Senreich joked, “we are talking to toy companies about other properties.”

Don’t miss: Commentaries on each sketch, deleted scenes, a featurette on the creation, animating and recording of the show and a photo gallery are among the bonus offerings.

Rated: Not rated

Critic’s rating: Three-and-a-half stars (Good-to-Excellent)